1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automatic vehicle wash systems and more particularly to a retractable wash curtain for use in such a system designed to be selectively elevated out of the path of movement of a vehicle.
2. Background of the Invention
There are many types of vehicle wash systems adapted to readily clean a vehicle without the need of handscrubbing. One basic form of wash system is merely to use a wand through which high-pressure water is emitted against the side of the vehicle with the wand normally being manipulated by an individual washing his or her own vehicle. More automated systems utilize the same concept of emitting jet sprays of water against the side of a vehicle but through use of an array of such nozzles disposed along both sides and across the top of the vehicle. Such arrays are sometimes adapted to move in a loop around the vehicle with the vehicle remaining in place while others move in a straight line across the vehicle with the vehicle remaining stationary. In either event, the object is to expose the entire exterior surface of the vehicle to the jet sprays of water to remove dirt, scum and other road debris from the surface of the vehicle.
More elaborate vehicles wash systems which are generally more efficient in cleansing the exterior surface of the vehicle have been referred to as tunnel-type car wash systems, wherein a vehicle is advanced through a series of stages spaced along a linear path with different operations occurring at the various stages as the vehicle is advanced through the tunnel. The various stages would include pre-soaking, rinsing, scrubbing, waxing and other similar operations. Generally in a tunnel-type wash system a fabric curtain, commonly referred to as a mitter curtain, defines one of the washing stages with the mitter curtain being comprised of a plurality of strips of felt or other similar material which are rocked back and forth along the path of movement of the vehicle so that as the vehicle is moved thereby, the felt strips will abrasively scrub and remove dirt and other debris from the surface of the vehicle. While this scrubbing action normally takes place in combination with a soapy water to minimize scratching the paint on the vehicle, it has been determined that repeated usage of such a cleaning system has a detrimental effect on the paint in that minor scratches are imparted to the surface, either by the felt fabric itself or by the granular dirt particles that the curtain removes from the surface of the vehicle.
As a result of the detrimental abrasion of a mitter curtain on the paint of a vehicle, many vehicle owners will not use tunnel-type vehicle wash systems for fear of damaging the paint on their vehicle and it has been determined that the owners of tunnel-type vehicle was system lose a substantial amount of business for this reason.
It would accordingly be desirable in tunnel-type vehicle wash systems to include a mitter curtain stage that was optional in use whereby an owner who did not want his vehicle scrubbed with the mitter curtain could so designate and the mitter curtain could be removed from the path of movement of that particular vehicle.
Others have recognized this shortcoming in tunnel-type vehicle wash systems and have devised several systems for coping with the problem. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,133 issued to Hanna on July 31, 1984, a curtain-like washing element is disclosed and includes a mechanism for folding the suspended curtain members into an elevated position whereby a vehicle can be passed therebeneath without engaging the curtain. In the system disclosed in the Hanna patent, a horizontal bar is adapted to be moved laterally against the curtain-like elements in one direction to swing an upper portion of the elements upwardly and a horizontal roll of water-resistant sheet material is provided and adapted to be unrolled laterally against the curtain-like elements in an opposite direction below the level of the bar to swing a lower portion of the elements upwardly so they can be suspended on the sheet material above the path of movement of a vehicle. This system is fairly complex and would appear to require a significant amount of time to operate. Where time is critical, this would appear to be a serious drawback to a system of this type.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,040 issued to Sereny on July 12, 1988, discloses another system wherein a curtain-type wash element can be removed from the path of movement of a vehicle. In this system, the curtain-like elements are disposed for retraction laterally out of the path of movement of the vehicle through the use of a plurality of pivotally interconnected links. Like the system disclosed in the Hanna patent, the Sereny system in fairly complex and accordingly is not totally satisfactory.
It is to satisfy the need for a dependable and retractable certain type washing system and to overcome the shortcomings in the prior art that the present invention has been developed. As will be appreciated from the detailed description hereinafter, a system has been designed which not only is adapted to selectively remove the curtain elements from the path of movement of a vehicle but does so in a rapid, efficient and dependable manner.